Absorption refrigerator



April 23, 1929. M. ALEX ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR Filed April 9, 1928 Fig.l; and

' passage of water from the Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES MAX ALEX, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed April 9,

My invention relates to absorption refrigerators and has for its objectthe provision of a device of this character which embodies some of thefeatures outlined in my prior applications, Serial No. 138,902 andSerial No. 138,903, both tiled on October 1, 1928.

My present invention is designed to bring about more efiicientrefrigeration. ()ne fcature of my invention contemplates the provisionof improved cooling facilities in the cooling chamber and elsewhere.

Another feature of my invention contemplates improved means forpreventing the generating chamber to the cooling chamber.

Another feature of my invention contemplates improved means forperiodically and automatically returning to the generating chamber suchwater as may yet pass from the generating chamber into 1 the coolingchamber during the operation of the device.

I will explain my invention more in detail by referring to the accon'i'ianying drawing illustrating rather diagramn'iat-icall y one embodimentthereof.

In this drawing- Fig. 1 represents a rather diagrammatic illustration ofa refrigerator constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit arrangements andconnections;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3+3 of Fig.4 is a sectional view online 44 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a combined generating andabsorbing tank 10 which at the inception of the operation of the deviceis filled with a suitable mixture of ammonia gas and water so that thesaid tank is about three-fourths full. This tank cooperates withacooling tank 11. This cooling tank is shown in the drawing unmounted ina refrigerating box as it is thought that the illustration of this boxis not needed for purposes of clarity. I might say, however, that thiscooling tank 11 has a central opening 12 into which the articles whichare to be cooled or frozen may be placed. This tank 11 is mounted in anysuitable form of box provided with suitable insulation and provided withsuitable doors as is customary and well understood.

The generating tank 10 is provided with a suitable electric heating coil13 merely in- 1928. Serial No. 268,593.

dicatcd diagrammatically and is also pro= vided with a cooling coil 14arranged preferably in a zigzag manner as shown, this cooling coilhaving the inlet pipe 15 and the outlet pipe 16. A thermostat 17 is alsoprovided in connection with this generating tank 10.

In :urcordance with my invention, I provide a. water eliminator 18 whichconsists of the hollow shell 19 having two walls 20 and 21' arrangedtherein. These walls divide the water eliminator into three compartmentsas will be apparent, that is, the central compartment and the two sidecompartments communicating one with the other through ducts 22 extendingthrough the central cham ber. The central chamber has a water inlet pipe23 and a water outlet pipe 24 so-that water may circulate through thecentral chamber and in a measure cool the gaseous evaporations from thegenerator 10 as they enter into the left-hand side chamber orcompartmei'lt of the eliminator 18 through the pipe 25. This pipeextends from the generator 10 to the said left-hand compartment of theeliminator 18 as shown. The right-hand side compartment of theeliminator 18 extends by means of two pipes 26 and 27 respectively, tothe cooling tank 11 as will presently be explained.

A thermostat 28 is provided preferably in the refrigerating compartment12 or elsewhere as the requirements may be, which thermostat isresponsive to the atmosphere surrounding the articles to be cooled orfrozen. The cooling tank 11 has the continuity of its interior broken byan annular compartment 29 formed of the walls 30 and 31 so that but forcertain passages presently to be described, this compartment 29 by valueof its walls forms in the tank 11 two concentric compartments, thecompartment 32 and the compartment 33. These two compartments 32 and 33are united by ducts 34 and compartment 29.

The compartment 29 carries cooling water and has an inlet pipe 36 and anoutlet pipe 37. A relief pipe 38 is also provided which permits thecompartment 29 to drain whenever the supply of Water is cut off. Thisrelief pipe 38 permits air to enter the compartextending through thewalls forming the ment and thus permit draining of this compartmentthrough the outlet pipe 37.

The refrigerant conducting pipes 26 and 27 which start from theeliminator 18 extend into the tank 11, the pipe 26 terminating near thebottom of the inner compartment 32 and the pipe 27 terminating near thebottom of the outer compartment 33.

From the eliminator 18, a pipe 39 extends to near the bottom of the tank'10, this pipe serving two purposes as will presently appear, one ofthese purposes being the return of water from the eliminator 18 back tothe tank 10. A pipe 40 extends from the chamber 32 of the tank 11 andconnects with the pipe 39 at an intermediate point thereof, this pipe 40serving to permit passage of the gaseous ammonia to be absorbed by'thewater in the tank 10. I

I connect the pipe 40 to an intermediate portion of the pipe 39 in orderto prevent water from flowing from the tank 10 into the tank 11. If pipe40 extended to the bottom of the tank 10 without being connected to thepipe 39, such flow of water might take place because of the differencesin pressure within the tanks 10 and 11 when the heater 13 is vaporizirthe ammonia( This diiference of pressure is brought about because theeliminator 18 reduces the temperature of the vapor in order to eliminatethe water as will prescntly appear and this difference of pressurebetween the two tanks might thereupon be sufficient to expel water fromthe tank 10 into the tank 11. y

A valve 41 serves to control the flow of water from a water supply pipe42 into the pipes 23 and 36 respectively, and a valve 43 serves tocontrol the flow of water through the pipe 15. Both of these valves aresubject to the control of the thermostats 17 and 28 respectively, aswill be more readily apparent from the illustration of the circuitconnections as shown in Fig. 2. VVhenever the circuit to the controllingelements of the Valves 41 and 43 is closed so that current passestherethrough, then these valves are open and water is permitted topass,- but when the electromagnetic controlled elements are notenergized, these valves are closed.

. The circuit diagram of Fig. 2, I believe, is readily intelligiblemoreover as it conforms to the operation as disclosed in my saidco-pending application. The walls of the compartment 29 may be providedwith longitudinal fins or vanes to emphasize and enhance the coolingaction of the water passing through the compartment 29. A drain pipe 44is shown which serves to drain off the cooling water from the variouscompartments in which it is used.

' In operation let us assume that the tank 10 is filled to aboutthree-fourths its capacity with ammonia gas absorbed by water, that is,a mixture of ammonia gas and water. The thermostat 28 which is soregulated as to maintain an open circuit when the chamber 12 is at itsproper refrigerating temperature closes circuit through its contactswhich thereupon closes the circuit through the heater 13 and also closescircuit through the valve 41. The contents of the tank 10 are thus beingheated and at the same time coolnator 18.

The cooling of the vapor causes the water to condense and to flowthrough the pipe 39 back into the tank 10. The ducts 22 should, ofcourse, be slightly inclined so that the water drains to the left. Thevapor as it was originally generated in the tank 19 might have atemperature between the limits of 130 and 190 F. The vapor thenpasses-through the pipes 26 and 27 into the compartments 32 and 33respectively. The pressure in these compartments 32 and 33 of coursewill be somewhat less than the pressure within the tank 10 because ofthe condensing or cooling brought about by the water eliminating stepwithin the eliminator 181* As the vapor enters the tank 11, it iscondensed into liquid form due to the cooling action of the compartment29 through which cooling water is now flowing. The heating within thetank 10 may continue until such a time as the temperature within thetank reaches 190 F. Thereupon, the thermostat 17 which has been in theposition shown in Fig. 2 reverses its position and closes circuitthrough its other two contacts, thereby breaking the circuit through theheater coil 13, and also through the valve 41 but at the same timecloses the circuit through the valve 43.

The cooling water now ceases to flow through the eliminator 18 andceases to flow through the compartment 29. Cooling water now flowsthrough the pipe coils 14 to cool the remaining contents in the tank 10which now to a large extent is water. Thereupon, the cooled water in thetank 10 begins to absorb the ammonia which has been condensed within thetank 11, and this ammonia passes upwardly through the pipe 40 to thebottom of the tank 10. The evaporation of the ammonia cools thecompartment 12. This return of the ammonia to the tank 10 continuesuntil such time as the temperature within the compartment 12 is at theproper value, whereuponthethermostat 28 reverses itself from theposition shown in Fig. 2 and thus opensthe circuit through the valve 43so that no cooling water flows any longer-through the com partment 29.Thus the valves 41 and 43 are closed and the circuit through the heater13 is broken. Then as the temperature in "the tank 10 decreases, thethermostat 17 reverses itself into the position shown in Fig. 2 andkeeps the parts in the position to perform their functions again in thesame rotation as heretofore explained, which cycle of opera-,-

in som eway or other from the tank 10 to the tank 11. It is essentialthat this water be periodically returned to the tank 10. This is broughtabout by the pipe 27.

Let it be assumed that the fluid in the tank 11 when liquefied shouldhave an upper surface which is slightl below the mouth of the duct 34and thus s ightly below the mouth 45 of the pipe 40. Now the addition ofwater to this supply would gradually raise this level. As soon as thelevel has been raised sufliciently to close the lower mouth of the duct34: and the mouth 45, then the pressure in the tank 11 beginsautomatically to rise as there would be no passage of any of thecontents of the tank 11 through the pipe 40 to the tank 10. The waterbeing heavier than the ammonia, of course, settles at the bottom of thecompartment 33 at the lower mouth of the pipe or tube 27. As thepressure within the tank 11 rises, this pressure will be suflicientshortl to force the water through the pipe 27 into t 1e eliminator 18from whence it can drain through the pipe 39 into the tank 10 until'suchtime as the maximum upper level of the liquid in the tank 11 is belowthe mouth 45. Such restoration of the water to the tank 10 occursperiodically as occasion re uires.

From what has been thus describe the na* ture of my invention will beclear as will also be apparent that many modifications may be madewithin the appended claims without departing from the spirit.

Having, however, thus described one of its forms, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters {Patent is 1. Refrigerating apparatus ofthe character described comprising a combined generation and absorptionchamber, a refrigerating tank, means interiorly of said tank forconducting acooling fluid therethrough whereby to cool the contents ofsaid tank, said cooling meansdividing said tank into two 'compartments,and passageways through said means whereby to establish communicationbetween sald compartments.

2. Refrigeratingapparatus of the character described comprising acombined generation and absorption chamber, a refrigerating tank, meansinteriorly of said tankfor conducting a cooling fluid therethroughwhereby to cool the contents of said tank, said cooling means dividingsaid tank into two compartments, one surrounding the other, andpassageways through said means whereby to establish communicationbetween said compartments.

.3. Refrigerating apparatus of the character described con'iprising acombined generation and absorption chamber, a refrigerating tank, meansinteriorly of said tank for conducting a cooling fluid therethroughwhereby to cool the contents of said tank, said cooling means dividingsaid tank into two compartments, A passageways through said meanswhereby to establish con'lmunieation between said compartments and arelief pipe associated with said means to permit draining thereof uponcessation of the passage therethrough of cooling fluid.

' 4. Refrigerating apparatus of the character described comprising acombined generator and absorber, a combined condenser and evaporator, awater eliminator interposed be -tween said two devices, a dram tubeleading from said eliminator into said generator-absorber, andv apassageway leading from said condenser-evaporator to an intermediatepoint of said tube 'for the purpose of conducting the refrigerant to beabsorbed from said condenser-evaporator to said generator-absorber.

5. Refrigerating apparatus of the character described comprising acombined generator-absorber, a combined condenser-evaporator, apassageway leading from said condenser-evaporator to a point near thebottom of said generator-absorber to permit ofthe absorption ofrefrigerant by the water within said generator-absorber, a passagewayfor conducting generated vapor from said generator-absorber to saidcondenser-evaporator, meansin said last aforesaid passageway fordecreasing the temperature of said vapor in its travel through saidpassageway,andmeans for preventing the flow of water from saidgenerator-absorber. through said firstafore said passagewa tosaid'condenser-evaporator, said last a oresaid means'comprising a ductextendingvfrom said second aforesaid passageway to said temperaturedecreasing means. I

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day ofFebruary, AgD. 1928. v

MAX ALEX./

